Regular Checkups and Compassionate Care Help Members with Diabetes Thrive

OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Diabetes affects more than 20 million people in the United States, but with regular care, including a healthy lifestyle, many are able to thrive. November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and throughout the month, Kaiser Permanente's Care Stories blog (kp.org/carestories) highlights three members who share how having a team of sensitive, informative care providers with them every step of the way not only allayed their initial fears about diabetes, but helped them manage it and live active, healthy lives.

November's stories include:

Carmelita Raymundo, MD, is a Kaiser Permanente member and a pediatrician in private practice. Carmelita regularly counsels her patients and their families to eat right, exercise and get regular medical check-ups. She also follows her own counsel, but a routine physical exam with Khine-Khine Win, MD, of Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Pasadena, caught Carmelita by surprise and revealed that she had diabetes. "I thought I was this perfect person," Carmelita explains, "because being a doctor, I thought that I was doing everything right. I was doing the right foods. I was doing my exercise."

When Rosemary Hernandez was diagnosed with diabetes, she not only had to come to terms with the disease, but she had to confront her longstanding fear of needles. Rosemary credits her Kaiser Permanente care providers with helping her to overcome her fears and learn to give herself insulin injections. Now Rosemary encourages other diabetic patients to overcome their fear of needles to learn to do self-injections. "It's going to save your life," she says. "It's going to make you feel healthier, and you're going to live longer. I'm doing my injections, and ... I'm in harmony, thanks to Kaiser (Permanente)."

When Sheaffer Skadsenwas in sixth grade, she began to experience unexplainedweight loss, headaches and a general lack of energy. After visiting Kaiser Permanente pediatrician Sara Bell, MD, in Vancouver, Wash., Sheaffer was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. A care team composed of Dr. Bell, a registered nurse, a dietician and a social worker have made sure Sheaffer gets the coordinated care she needs to manage the disease and stay healthy. Now a freshman at the University of Arizona on a soccer scholarship, Sheafer uses an electronic insulin pump to download and transmit her glucose levels to Dr. Bell. "They have been with me literally every step of the way," Sheaffer explains. "I can't imagine what my experience would be like with diabetes if I didn't have my Kaiser (Permanente) care team."

Launched in July 2011, Care Stories is a collection of first-person video narratives from Kaiser Permanente members talking about their own care in their own words, unscripted and uncompensated.

About Kaiser PermanenteKaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 9 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.